Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-09-22
DYEING THE MoUsTACHE.
The Practice Not Much Indulged In ut
the Present.

the men who change The color OF their
hair by artificial means is smaller still.
When the policeman with five service
stripes was sworn In, 1t was the Gus
tom OF almost everybody to use dye.
Napoleon III. was partially responsible
for this. lie had gorgeous NOUS
tache, black, and with nice long ends
ready for u wax polish like "a whole'
some stove. lie set the fashions for
Paris, and Paris for America. Now
the custom has almost gone out, and
the purple-black mousthche Is rare
throughout the land.
An old barber who has been In the
business good lifetime, explained the
change. Twenty years ago a third OF
the men that came here wanted their
mnstache dyed. A man with heavy
and fast. growing moustache ha Ito have
IL dyed every week, and it Was q good
thing for US. Even ten years ago
there were many of them left, but the
fall of the French empire and the en-
peror left the style without support, and
the character Of the moustache changed.
Instead Of being long, aud glossy, and
black, short and stubby mustaches
came Into fashion.
''Cubans and southern men began to
raise moustaches without ever shaving
their upper lips. This made the hair
come out In graceful clusters instead
Of spikes and long stiff hairs. There
isn't any use of dyeing a moustache
unless you raise long one and wax
out the ends, so these short, clustering
moustaches changed the dyeing fashion
The knowledge Of the chemicals en-
ployed had great deal to do with it.
Powerful acids aid compounds are at
the base of all dyes and hair restorers
that do anything. IL weak solutions OF
harmless things are used they will have
no effect, while drug powerful enough b
To change the color OF the hair must
have some effect on the scalp and the
brain, as the base Of all hair dyes was
nitrate Of silver. Care was taken to
prevent its getting on the skin, and
sulphate of potash was used by careful
BARRIERS to counteract its effect on the
scalp Nitrate of silver Is a powerful
caustic, and its use by a careless bar
Der is dangerous. Much more was the
danger in dyeing the hair brown. The
C mmon dye for that Was made Of sui
plur and sugar Of lead. The solution WAS
sometimes carelessly rubbed into the
scalp and then il was sure 10 cause
some disease Of the brain. Applied
steadily 1t effects the mind.
"At the same time with the notori-
ETY. of several cases Of poisoning from
hair dys, came reaction Of fashion in
favor of gray and balds heads. The
young man who had a patch Of scalp
showing through tie top of his head,
instead Of conc ealing it, had his hair
cut 81 short that it showed, and he was
envied 10y his fellow young men. 1t
also became fashionable for young
msn with black hair To have "a few cray
threads In II. IL made him an Object
Of interest on account II supposed woes
and trials that made his hair grow pre-
maturely gray. Dyeiny the hair would
destroy this charm and dyeing went
speedily out OF fashion.
"ln the old days it was the best bar
ber that did the most dyeing. Now it
is the cheap ones. An Irish immigrant
with sandy hair and beard W .nts TO DO
dressed up, and when he puts his Sunday
black clothes on has his hair and nous.
tache dyed to suit. The old volunteers
were never dressed up until their nous
tache were a lurid black. The police.
men still keep up the habit they think
il makes them look fierce and martial.
Ii you see the police force on parade.
you won't see many gray hair, even on
the men with six stripes. They are
evidently old enough to haye gray hairs
but their moustaches are as black and
shiny as their shoes. The old sergeants
dye as steadily as anybody ia town.
Even II policeman leaves the force he
takes this habit with him. aud, like
the old volunteer fireman, he literally
soakes his head In dye.
There are few gamblers who dye
but not many big ones. The dealer or
case keeper may dye, but the hacker
doesn't. The common gambler has a
constant wish to look like gentleman.
He can't as he carries every fashion too
far. The big and quiet men learned
long since that dyeing only gave them
away. but 10 small cities they haven't
learned that yet, and it is considered
essential for true spot to have black
waxed moustache and curly black hair,
no matter what color his eyebrows
may be-"
1t is bard to find any man who will
admit that he dyes his moustache, and
it is not always easy to tell whether he
does or not. The old-time Irish "A
merican population were the most
steadiest dyers, but their children have
not taken their places.
A dyed moustache is usually sign
that the man who wears it thinks he
can deceive other people easily. He is
usually in position of some authority
petty or large and has tendency to be
self-possessed, and possibly pompous.
lie has the goodof the joy to be got out
OF this world and he takes his full
share. A dyed moustache is an aid to